F1 to be filmed in HD

The BBC has confirmed that the F1 2010 championship will be filmed in HD this year.

But, before you get too excited, this HD feed is not being made available to broadcasters until at least 2011. The BBC’s head of HD, Danielle Nagler, wrote on her blog:

The events are being filmed in HD (as far as we know) but they are
not made available by F1 to broadcasters in HD.

Lee McKenzie, part of the BBC F1 team, has previously said that F1 broadcasters will be offered the chance to show F1 in HD from 2011 onwards, but it is unsure who will take up the offer. Let’s be honest though, the BBC will definitely be one of the first to sign up.

Still though, it seems like a waste of time filming it in HD and not broadcasting it. Maybe FOM wants to get experience first, then broadcast it when they’re ready. Hopefully the end-of-year review will have HD clips instead.

Meanwhile, this year’s NASCAR championship will be the 6th year of being broadcast in HD. F1 is well behind.